Silicon, the new lithium?
Image: Technion-Israel Institute of Technology 
The joint research project led by three scientists in three continents — Yair Ein-Eli of Technion, Digby Macdonald of Penn State University, and Rika Hagiwara of Kyoto University — has yielded a working prototype of the battery which dispenses with the typical heavy, metal-based cathode structure and replaces it with something much lighter ... air.
Link
EMAIL
Stumble
Tweet
link:
| « Previous America's Most Endangered Mountains | Next » Farmville farmers raise $700,000 for Haiti |
Comments(9)
Posted By JonT - Wed, Dec 09 2009 at 9:37 AM ESTHow many continents?
Three continents? Japan, while an island, is generally considered to be associated with Asia, and Israel is certainly in Asia, and the US is in North America. That's two continents.
Posted By Anonymous - Wed, Dec 09 2009 at 9:35 AM ESTA question...
You guys state that it can last thousands of hours. At what current draw? I can pull 1 milliamp per hour from a 2000mAH Eneloop, and make the same statement. Also, what is the expected capacity?
Posted By Nate - Wed, Dec 09 2009 at 8:20 AM ESTNice graphics
Nice graphics, no confusing labels and no explanation of how it works.
Posted By Alexandre - Wed, Dec 09 2009 at 8:00 AM ESTmy 2 $c
Pushing over Bolivia its own incompetence of manipulating materials over manipulating countries and people are really awesome. Besides congrats to the real scientists that are finding new alternatives
Posted By Jos - Wed, Dec 09 2009 at 6:47 AM ESTSand in your fueltank ?
I was always told sand in your fueltank kills your engine ?
Posted By Tane - Wed, Dec 09 2009 at 6:26 AM ESTRefuelable is the new Non-rechargable
Actually, if the battery can be built so that it's easily swappable, and the components can be recycled for around the same energy cost as the battery can give, then it can run on the same model as our petrol cars do.
Posted By G - Wed, Dec 09 2009 at 5:13 AM ESTRechargeable is key
Also, the step from non-rechargeable batteries to rechargeable ones can be a *big* one. Unless someone can make that step, this is not at all a replacement for Li-ion batteries.
So, good work, keep it up, but it's not yet a big deal.
Posted By Jan Tytgat - Fri, Dec 04 2009 at 3:04 AM ESTRecycling Li-ion batteries
Karl, you said: "Lithium batteries,... are not easily recycled". This is not correct: Umicore has a prooven technology for all Li-ion battery chemistries and is going to invest in a 7000 ton capacity installation in Belgium. See www.batteryrecycling.umicore.com
Good news
I can see a few "good news" facets to this. For one thing, if it looks like lithium-ion batteries are going to be obsolute in a 10 years, Bolivia will not hoard their lithium. They will sell it cheap, driving down the price. Also, even if the battery is never rechargable, if they are cheap enough you can drive to the "gas" station and swap out the dying battery for a new one, then recycle the old battery (or just dump it if it is nontoxic and degradable). Solves the problem of long recharge.... More